Prior apparatus for reshaping cylindrical metal containers (e.g., cans) have included can supporting devices including, for example, spindle housings supporting spindle ram assemblies at intervals around the periphery of a cylindrical ram block portion of a turret. The spindle ram assemblies carry can reshaping tools which are rotatable about the spindle axes and which may be reciprocated along lines substantially parallel to the turret axis. The ram block is driven about the turret axis thereby causing the spindle ram assemblies to orbit the turret axis. When operating at high speeds, the cam followers of these devices are often brought into and out of contact with a cam causing an increased rate of wear and a higher incidence of failure for the cam followers. Specifically, in the common instance where a cam follower is overgreased, the rotational speed of the cam followers decreases significantly when they lose contact with the cam. Then when the cam followers come back into contact with the cam, the cam followers are suddenly accelerated and skidding occurs between the cam and the cam followers. This skidding is a significant source of cam follower wear and failure.
A flexible bushing for a cam follower, comprising a substantially rigid inner sleeve including an inner cam follower engaging surface, a length of the inner sleeve being greater than a thickness of a ram into which the flexible bushing is inserted, a substantially rigid outer sleeve including an outer ram engaging surface, a length of the outer sleeve being substantially equal to the thickness of the ram, the inner and outer sleeves being substantially concentric, and a shock absorbing flexible material disposed between the inner and outer sleeves.
In addition, a cam follower assembly, comprising a cam follower extending through an opening in a ram, the cam follower including a racer to follow a contour of a cam, wherein, when the cam exerts a deflection force on the racer, a flexible material is deformed to absorb the deflection force. Furthermore, a cam assembly, comprising a cam, a first cam follower inserted through a ram, the first cam follower including a first racer contacting the cam, and a second cam follower inserted through a flexible bushing in the ram, the second cam follower including a second racer contacting the cam, wherein, as the first and second cam followers move relative to the cam, the cam exerts a deflection force deflecting the second cam follower deforming the flexible bushing.